Marco Rossi · F1-Korrespondent
Despite a blocking maneuver deemed serious at the high-speed section before Turn 19, Lewis Hamilton escapes with a warning in Baku.
The FIA has issued Lewis Hamilton an official warning following a dangerous incident in the second free practice session in Baku, but has refrained from imposing a grid penalty. The Ferrari driver had remained on the racing line during his warm-up lap contrary to race control instructions when Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls approached at high speed from behind and was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision. It is already Hamilton's second warning of the season.
Ignoring Strict Instructions: What Happened at Turn 19 in Baku
The Baku City Circuit ranks among the most demanding tracks on the calendar, largely because slow and fast driving share narrow space. To defuse exactly such situations, race control had issued clear directives ahead of the weekend: vehicles on slow laps or out-laps must stay strictly left between the exit of Turn 16 and the entry of Turn 18 to make room for faster cars. Additionally, teams and drivers are instructed to manage spacing so that no one gets held up in the section between the apex of Turn 18 and Turn 19, the fastest part of the track.
Hamilton did not follow this instruction during his warm-up lap and remained on the racing line as Lawson approached at significantly higher speed. The Racing Bulls driver had to lift off the throttle and brake lightly on the track to avoid contact, a maneuver that leaves little margin for error at the speeds involved.
Mitigating Factors Instead of Grid Penalty
The race stewards classified the blocking as serious but refrained from a grid position drop. According to a report from grandepremio.com, the lack of intent played a role alongside another factor introduced this season: the revised hybrid power unit regulations. The modified ERS systems and energy recovery at the end of laps create sometimes significant speed differentials between cars, which meaningfully complicates distance management for drivers. This technical quirk likely tipped the scales toward the stewards opting for the milder penalty.
Fifth Warning Would Trigger Automatic Penalty
For Hamilton, however, the incident does not come without consequences. It is already his second warning of the 2026 season, and FIA regulations stipulate that a driver's fifth warning in a season automatically results in a ten-place grid drop, provided at least four of those warnings stem from driving infractions. Hamilton still has room to spare, but it shrinks with each subsequent incident of this type. How cautiously the Ferrari driver proceeds in similar situations going forward should become apparent in the coming race weekends.
